Somebody to Lean On
by musicgirl1120
Summary: When Spencer gets sick while she's working in DC, who will come to help her?
1. Chapter 1

**Ok guys. I have been really obsessed with PLL for a while now. I have been working on various stories for a few months. This week, I had so much to do for school so of course, all I wanted to do was write. I cranked out this story. Now, normally, I am a huge Spoby shipper, but this story just got stuck in my head, and I went for it.**

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Spencer knew she had been pushing herself too hard lately. She just had so much to get done with her job that she didn't have time to take care of herself. Half the office was out with some kind of flu bug, meaning Spencer had been pulling major overtime. She needed the extra cash so she couldn't complain, but the long hours were getting to her.

She and Caleb were supposed to get together for dinner that night, but she had canceled on him after realizing she was going to get stuck working whoolay late.

By the time she got home, she had a nice headache brewing and she was so tired. She changed into a t-shirt that was way too big and climbed into bed within minutes of being home. Very quickly, she fell asleep.

The next morning, she woke up feeling absolutely terrible. She pulled herself out of bed, getting in the shower before downing some Advil and getting ready. She raced to work, arriving just on time.

"Morning Spencer," her co-worker Danielle said, "You feeling alright?"

"I'll be fine," Spencer said, going into her cubicle.

She worked for a while, finding it hard to concentrate as her head pounded and her nose got stuffed up, making breathing hard. At noon, she heard someone come up behind her. She turned around slowly, seeing Caleb standing there.

"You rescheduled out dinner last night for lunch today," he said, seeing the confusion in her eyes, "But from the way you look right now, I'd say the only place you should be going is home to bed."

"I'b fide," Spencer said, wincing as she spoke, "I just deed to finidsh this."

"Spence," Caleb said, going over to her, "You sound miserable. Let me take you home so you can rest."

"Bud…" Spencer started, only to be cut off by a series of coughs.

Caleb rubbed her back gently as she cough.

A second after Spencer finished, her boss poked his head in her cubicle. "Spencer, was that you coughing?"

"I'b fide," Spencer said, grabbing a tissue.

"You look like hell," her boss said, "I bet you caught that flu that's going around. Go home until you get better."

"Bud…" Spencer started.

"No buts," her boss said, "Most of the office is out sick right now. I'm actually thinking of giving everyone tomorrow off to get the office clean. Please go home and rest."

Spencer gave in, trying to stand up, but having to sit back down when dizziness overpowered her.

"You alright?" Caleb asked, going over to her.

"Yeah," she said, getting up again slower, "Jud dizzy."

"You're burning hot Spence," Caleb said, putting a hand on her forehead.

She nodded, grabbing her coat. He helped her put on her coat and wrapped his arms around her. Spencer leaned against him as he guided her out of the elevator.

"Why did you come to work today Spence?" he asked as she leaned against his chest.

She shrugged, closing her eyes.

"Alright," he said, "I know you probably took the metro today, but we are taking a cab home."

Spencer didn't have the energy to argue so she just followed Caleb out and into a cab. She fell asleep on his lap. He felt bad when she woke up when they arrived, but he helped her up to her apartment. He brought her into her bedroom, helping her change into a pair of warm pajamas.

"Alright," he said, pulling back her covers and tucking her into the warm sheets, "I checked and you have nothing by Advil and Midol so I'm gonna run to the Walgreens down the street and get you some medicine and other stuff. What are your symptoms?"

"Feber," she said, shivering a little, "Chills, buscle aches, cough, ruddy dose, headache, dizzy, and sore throat."

"Sounds like you caught the flu," he said, brushing a piece of hair from her forehead, "What do you want me to pick up?"

She shrugged, pulling her blanket up, "Soup."

"Alright," he said, "I'll be back in a half hour. If you need anything, just text me."

She nodded a little, closing her eyes. He left the apartment, heading to the Walgreens. He went in, first grabbing a few can of soup. He knew she wasn't a big fan of chicken noodle, but she loved tomato soup and vegetable soup so he grabbed several cans of each of those.

He also grabbed a case of her favorite purple Gatorade and a box of crackers. Hr decided to grab some ginger ale and applesauce in case she ended up with an upset stomach.

He then headed over to the pharmacy area, looking at all his options. He realized he had no clue what to get her so he went over to the pharmacy counter to ask.

"Hello," the pharmacist said, "How can I help you?"

"Hi," he said, "My friend is sick and I need to get her some medicine, but I'm not quite sure what to get."

"Alright," the pharmacist said, coming out from behind the counter, "What are her symptoms?"

"She's got some flu bug that going around her office," Caleb rattled off as he followed the pharmacist, "She had a fever, chills, muscle aches, cough, runny nose, headache, dizziness, and sore throat."

"Sounds like the flu. The strain going around right now is vicious. Make sure she's getting a lot of rest and fluids. This should help," the pharmacist said, handing him a box of Theraflu along with a bottle of Dayquil and Nyquil, "She can take the Nyquil during the day when she's feeling really bad so she can sleep, but she can take the Dayquil if she want to stay awake during the day."

"Thanks," Caleb said, adding the medicine to the cart.

"Tell your friend to feel better," the pharmacist said, "You might also want to grab a box or two of tissues."

"Thank you," Caleb said, grabbing some tissues and heading to check out.

He walked quickly back to her apartment, quietly going in. He put the groceries away and headed into her room with a bottle of Gatorade and her medicine. She was awake when he walked in, looking miserable.

"Hey Spence," he said, "Were you alright while I was gone?"

"I'b so achy," she said, groaning.

"Well, I've got some medicine for you and Gatorade so maybe that will help," he said, measuring out the dark red medicine.

"Thanks," she said, taking the cup and downing it before taking the gateade and taking a small sip.

"Can I get you anything else?" he asked, rubbing her shoulder a little.

"Cad you ged me another blanket from the ched?" she asked through chattering teeth.

"Sure," he said, opening the chest at the bottom of her bed.

He pulled out two of the heavier blankets and draped them over the sick girl.

"Anything else?" he asked, rubbing her back.

"Will you lay with be?" she asked shyly.

"Of course," he said, climbing into the bed next to her.

She moved over and put her head on his lap.

"Someone's clingy when their sick," he said, running his fingers through her hair.

"You dow dat," she said, giving him a half smile.

"This is true," Caleb said, rubbing her back, "Spain taught me that."

They had been in Spain together for about two weeks.

During that time, Spencer had gotten a horrible case of strep throat that left her completely miserable. Caleb had been staying with her when she got sick. He had taken her to the doctor and gotten her medicine. Her fever was wicked high and she was one of the unlucky ones who threw up when they had strep which made her throat burn worse. Caleb had held her hair back and stayed with her the whole time.

He learned quickly that a sick Spencer Hastings was a cuddly, miserable Spencer Hastings. He held her for hours at a time, rubbing her back and playing with her hair as she tried to sleep off her illness.

He hated that she was sick, but the two of them had enjoyed the time they spent together especially after her antibiotcis has started to help her feel a little better.

However, until the fever broke, and she was feeling a lot better, she just wanted him to cuddle her. Caleb never complained because he liked cuddling and missed holding Hanna often.

Caleb was brought back from his daydream by a coughing fit from the girl next to him.

"Shhh," Caleb said, rubbing her back, "Try to breath. You're alright."

Spencer coughed for a long time, eventualy catching her breath.

"Here," Caleb said, handing her the bottle of Gatorade.

She took a few sips before handing it back to him and collapsing into the bed.

"Come here," Caleb said, pulling her into his embrace, "You're alright."

She fell asleep against his chest, her breathing rough and ragged. He looked down at her, smiling a little. He grabbed a tissue and gently wiped her nose which was running like a fountain. He held her for hours as she slept. Suddenly, she work up coughing had again.

"Shh," he said, rubbing her back, "Shh. Breathe, Spence."

She coughed for a long time, finally stopping and leaning her head against his chest. He ran his fingers through her long, sweaty haid, trying to calm her down.

"I'm right here Spence," he said, holding her clode.

She was shivering against him.

"How about a warm bath?" Caleb asked gently, looking down at Spencer.

She nodded against his chest, moving a little so he could get out of the bed.

He got up, heading into the bathroom and starting the bath. Spencer had some eucalyptus essential oil, so he added it into the bath water to help her breath better and sleep. He then went and helped Spencer into the bathroom.

"I'll be right outside if you need me," Caleb said, rubbing her back as she sat down on the edge of the tub.

She nodded, starting to get undressed as he left the bathroom. He went into the kitchen, grabbing out a container of soup he had bought the day before. He put it in a pot and started heating it on low. He stirred it, starting a tea kettle boiling. Once it boiled, he put a chamomile tea bag in with honey and lemon.

About twenty minutes later, Spencer opened the bathroom door and headed back to her bedroom. Caleb went in a few minutes later, finding her climbing back into bed.

"Hey," he said, walking in with a tray with tea, crackers, and soup, "Did you have a good bath?"

She nodded, coughing a little.

"Good," he said, putting the tray on her lap, "You need to eat something before you go back to sleep, alright?"

"Oday," she said, picking up her spoon.

Caleb went into the bathroom, grabbing a comb and hair tie. He went back into the bedroom, sitting down next to Spencer and brushing her hair. He then brained it into two neat braids. Spencer touched the braids.

"How did you learn dat?" Spencer said, taking another small bite of soup.

"Hanna," Caleb said, "When you guys first got released from A's lair, Hanna had a lot of issues and me braiding her hair calmed her down when she was having a hard time."

Spencer nodded, "I always made Toby rub by back in a certain way after thad to calb be down."

Caleb nodded, wrapping an arm around Spencer. He hated thinking about the time the girls had spent down in A's lair being tortured. He knew Hanna had had a really hard time with it but hadn't really known any of the other girls well enough at the time to see how much damage it had done to them.

Spencer had opened up to him some about that time after he had been staying with her when she had gone through a phase of horrific nightmares. She had times during her life after A that the nightmares got bad.

When she was with Toby, she would call him when they started or go home for a day or two to see him because she could barely function when she was dealing with nightmares.

When they happened after she broke up with Toby, she would curl up in her bed, call Aria, and try to block out the world.

When it happened when she was in Spain with Caleb, right before she got sick with strep, she woke up screaming and barely able to breath.

Caleb shot up, a little scared, but almost immediately knew what to do. He had held her for over twenty minutes before she could breathe properly again and another half hour until the tears stopped. Caleb had done it again twice the first night.

In the morning, after Spencer had woken up a little, he asked her about it, figuring it had something to do with A. She kept her head down as she explained to him about the episodes. He had lifted her chin, wiped her tears, and hugged her, telling her that she was one of the strongest people he had ever met.

He had helped her through the night terrors for three nights.

The third night, she woke up after the second nightmare with a fever and that had started her strep.

That was the first time since she and Toby had broken up that she felt like she might make it through the nightmares.

Thankfully, she had only dealt with them one time since Spain.

"I'b full," Spencer said, handing the tray to Caleb.

"You didn't eat much," Caleb said, looking at her food.

"I can't eat bore," Spencer said, sniffling a little bit.

"Alright," he said, taking the tray, "I'll be right back."

Caleb put the tray in the kitchen, cleaning the bowl. He grabed a bottle of Gatorade, bringing it back to the bedroom along with Nyquil.

"Take this," he said, handing her the medicine.

She took it, sipping on the drink.

"Hold be?" she asked again, looking at him with her glassy eyes.

"Of course," he said, "Let me go make some food for myself and I'll be back in two mintues."

She nodded, curling up in her bed. He made himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwhich and grabbed an apple and granola bar before going back to her bedroom. He climbed into bed, helping Spencer get confortable in his lap before he ate his food. Spencer rubbed her face on his stomach, groaning a little bit.

"What can I do Spence?" he asked, rubbing her back.

"I hurt," she said, sniffling and coughing.

"I'm sorry," he said, rubbing her back, "Your medicine should kick in soon so you can rest."

She nodded, trying not to think about how much her body hurt. Caleb finished his lunch, adjusting a little so Spencer was more in his lap. She put her head on his chest, sighing.

"You need to get cooled down, Spence," he said after a few minutes, "I'm going to get some cool cloths."

He got up, filling a bowl with cool water and rubbing alcohol before going back to her bedroom. He got back into bed with her, helping her get situated before he wiped it across her forehead.

About twenty minutes later, Spencer finally fell asleep.

Caleb knew Spencer was typically a healthy person so when she got sick, it was awful.

He had brought his bag into her room so while she slept, he worked on some of his work. Spencer woke up again coughing two hours later.

She struggled to catch her breath as Caleb rubbed her back. Eventually, she got her breath back, leaning against Caleb after exerting all her strength in the coughing fit.

"Drink," Caleb said, grabbing her Gatorade and having her take a few sips.

She handed it back to him, rubbing her eyes.

"Do you want to watch a movie?" Caleb asked.

She nodded a little as he helped her move out of his lap.

" _Pride and Prejudice?"_ he asked, knowing she loved that movie.

She nodded tiredly as he put DVD in. HE got back into bed as she climbed over to him.

"I know," he said, rubbing her back as she whined a little bit, "Rest Spence."

Soon enough, she fell asleep.

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 **There was the first chapter! I hope you enjoyed it!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's the next chapter!**

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About two hours in, there was a knock on the door that woke Spence up.

"Are you expecting someone?" he asked, looking at her.

"I can'd rebember," Spencer said, coughing as she sat up.

"I'll get it," Caleb said, heading to the door.

He opened it to find Aria standing outside.

"Caleb?" she said, looking confused, "Did I get the address wrong? I thought this was Spener's place."

"It is," Caleb said as he let Aria in, "I'm working in the city right now too. Spencer and I were supposed to get lunch today, but she came down with the flu so I have been taking care of her."

"That's really sweet of you Caleb," Aria said, setting her bag down.

"Did Spencer know ou were coming?" Caleb asked as they stood in the living room area.

"I called her yesterday and asked if she would be free this weekend becaseu I am in town for a while for work," Aria said, "Why? Did she not mention it?"

"I think this whole flu thing might have started yesterday," Caleb said, "We were supposed to grab dinner last nihgt, but she bailed on me cbecasue she had too much work. She rescheduled it for lunch today but completely forgot."

"Are you two like a thing now?" Aria asked, looking at Caleb.

"No," Caleb said, "No. We just both work here and sometimes we spend time together. Have a little taste of home is nice sometimes, especially when one of us is having a bad day."

"Yeah," Aria said, nodding.

"I think Spence is awake if you want to go see her," Caleb said, pointing to the bedroom, "I'm going to make her some tea. Want some?"

"Sure," Aria said, heading into Spencer's room.

"Aria?" Spencer croaked out, voice raw and painful, "Oh my dosh, I fodot you were cobing ."

"It's fine Spence," Aria said, sitting down on the bed next to Spencer, "Caleb said you've been really sick."

"Yeah," Spencer said, coughing a little bit.

"I'll find a hotel for the night," Aria said, "You clearly need to rest."

"Doe," Spencer said, sniffling, "You can stay on the couch. Caleb dows how to pull it out."

"Is Caleb staying the night?" Aria asked, looking at Spencer.

"I don'd dow," Spencer said, rubbing her eyes, "He can sleep here dough."

Aria gave Spencer a look, but the sick girl totally missed it.

"Tea," Caleb said, coming into the bedroom.

"Danks," Spencer said as he handed her the cup.

Once Caleb handed Aria her tea, he put his hand on Spencer's forehead.

"I think the fever went up," Caleb said with a sigh.

Spencer nodded, leaning back into her pillows.

"Do you want me to go so you can sleep?" Aria asked, looking at Spencer.

"I'b not tired right now," Spencer said, looking at Aria.

"Have you eaten?" Caleb asked Aria.

"No," Aria said, shaking her head.

"How about I go out and grab some Chinese for dinner?" Caleb asked.

"Sounds good to me," Aria said.

"Spence?" Caleb asked.

"I'b not hungry," Spencer said, looking at Caleb.

"You sure?" Caleb asked, brushing a piece of sweaty hair from her face, "How about egg drop soup?"

"Maybe," Spencer said, looking at him with her glassy eyes.

"I'll get you some and you can decide if you want to eat it when I get back ok?" Caleb said.

Spencer nodded a little bit, offering him a smile.

"I'll be back soon," Caleb said, getting up from the bed and walking out of the room.

Aria looked at Spencer with huge eyes and crossed her arms.

"What was that?" Aria asked, sitting down next to Spencer.

"Whad?" Spencer asked, coughing.

"You and Caleb?" Aria asked, handing Spencer her tea.

"We're just friends," Spencer said, rubbing her eyes, "We met up in Spain and it was so nice to have someone from home with me. I had a hard time while I was there. Nightmares and I was really sick."

"Umhm," Aria said, looking at her best friend.

"We're dot doing to do andything," Spencer rasped out, "We couldn'd do dat to Hanna."

"Hanna has a new boyfriend," Aria said, knowing Spencer knew this.

"I know," Spencer said, "But still."

"Alright," Aria said, shaking her head, "Now, are you up to talking or do you just wanna watch a movie or something?"

"You talk," Spencer said, rubbing her eyes, "I hurt too much."

"Want me to rub your back?" Aria asked, knowing how much Spencer loved being touched when she felt bad.

Spencer nodded, moving a little so Aria could rub her back. Aria started talking about her time in New York, telling Spencer all about Liam and their first few dates. Spencer nodded off to sleep on and off while Aria was talking, enjoying just being with her best friend.

Through her fever, Spencer couldn't help but think about what Aria had said about her and Caleb. She did have feeling for Caleb, she was starting to realize. She didn't know what to do about it because of Hanna though. She knew she and Caleb hadn't really talked about it very much, but she decided when she was better, she would talk to him about it.

"Dinner's here," Caleb said, coming into the bedroom and drawing Spencer's attention back to reality.

"I think she might be sleeping," Aria said, pointing to Spencer.

Spencer groaned a little, rolling over to show she was awake.

"You were awake," Aria said, "And here I thought you couldn't be bothered to listen to my stories."

Spencer gave Aria a look, rubbing her eyes.

"Alright. I have your favorite veggie lo mein, Aria," Caleb said, handing her the container.

He pulled up a chair from the other side of the room net to Spencer's side of the bed.

"You hungry Spence?" Caleb asked, knowing she had barely eaten all day.

"Not really," she said, blinking sleepily.

"Can you try to eat just a little?" Caleb asked. She nodded, sitting up a little bit and taking the soup.

The three of them ate, Caleb and Aria talking a little bit. Spencer only ate about a quarter of the soup before deciding she was done.

"Cad you make up the sofa bed for Aria before she goes to bed?" Spencer asked Caleb sleepily.

"Sure," Caleb said, putting a hand on Spencer's forehead, wincing at the warmth, "I'm going to get more cold towels."

Spencer nodded a little, moving around in the bed.

"He's a good nurse," Aria said, smiling at Spencer.

"Mmmhhhmm," Spencer said, really feeling the effects of her fever.

Aria was glad her friend had someone looking after her. She knew that Spencer had had a very hard time after the doll house. Aria was Spencer's go to person to talk to once she broke up with Toby.

It was good for both of them that they had someone to lean on who hadn't been down there. It was hard to talk about the doll house with the other girls sometimes because they were always afraid of triggering someone else into flashbacks.

Caleb came back just then with a bowl of water and cloths. He began mopping Spencer down with them gently. Soon enough, her fever was down a little and Spencer was sleeping.

"You like her don't you?" Aria asked as Caleb sat back don in the chair next to the bed, eyes still on Spencer.

"What?" Caleb asked, looking up at Aria as he picked up his dinner.

"You like Spencer," Aria said, "Like, more than friends like her."

"WE're just friends," Caleb said, looking at her.

"But you want to be more," Aria said, looking at Caleb knowingly.

"I mean, a little," Caleb said, "But I don't know what Spencer wants and I don't want to make her uncomfortable. She's been through so much and she keeps telling me she feels safe when I'm with her. I know how hard the past six years have been for all of you, and knowing that I can do something to help…"

"I get it," Aria said, nodding, "I totally get it. You should talk to her about it when she's better though. "

"We'll see," Caleb said, turning his attention back to the TV that was playing some show.

Caleb really did like Spencer a lot and wanted to date her more than almost anything, but the one thing he wanted to do more than date her was protect her with all his might.

"Alright," Aria said, finishing her dinner, "I'm really tired so I think I'm going to go to bed."

"I'll help you with the couch," Caleb said, getting up, "You can shower or whatever in the bathroom. This place only has one."

"Thanks," Aria said, "Are you going to spend the night?"

"Yeah," Caleb said, looking at Spencer, "She's so sick. I'k worried about the nightmares again."

Aria nodded, heading into the bathroom. Caleb went into the living room and pulled out the bed, making it up for Aria. He had spent the night on that couch more than once. However, tonight, he was going to sleep on her floor so he could be there if she needed him.

"Thanks Caleb," Aria said, coming out of the bathroom.

"No problem," Caleb said, "Let me know if you need anything."

Caleb headed back into Spencer's bedroom, sitting down next to her bed in the chair again. Spencer woke up about a half hour later in a coughing fit. Caleb was right there for her, rubbing her back again. She was shivering when the fit was over, looking absolutely miserable.

"How can I help you?" Caleb asked, rubbing her back.

"Cuddle," Spencer mumbled, not moving her head from the pillow. He got into the bed with her, wrapping his arms around her burning form as she cuddled next to him. Soon enough, both of them fell asleep.

Spencer woke up six times in the middle of the night with nightmares and coughing fits. Caleb was there through all of them, holding her so she could relax.

Her fever didn't budge the whole night which made it challenging for her to get comfortable.

By morning, the fever was still high and Caleb was getting worried. However, she was sleeping soundly when he woke up in the morning so he decided to just let her sleep. Caleb got out of bed without disturbing her, tucking the blankets around her gently.

"How is she?" Aria asked as Caleb came out of the bedroom.

"She's still on fire," Caleb said with a sigh, putting a pot of coffee on.

"Spencer never does anything small," Aria said, shaking her head, "I remember when we were thirteen, mono went around and Spencer literally had it for six months."

"Wow," Caleb said, chuckling, "Yeah. I remember when you all caught that demon stomach bug junior year. Hanna told me Spencer was sick for almost two weeks."

"That is true," Aria said, nodding, "She could not get her stomach back to normal."

The two sipped on the coffee as Caleb started breakfast. He just made pancakes, knowing they were Spencer's favorites. They ate in relative silence. The two had never been super close when they still lived in Rosewood.

When they were almost done wit breakfast, they head Spencer start coughing. Caleb ran into the room, finding the sick girl doubled over coughing. He grabbed her water and helped her drink some of it after she finished coughing.

"That cough is not sounding good," Caleb said, helping her lean back.

"I dow," Spencer rasped out.

"Are you up for some pancakes?" Caleb asked.

"I'b still not hundry," she said, grabbing a tissue and blowing her nose.

"You've gotta eat Spence," Caleb said, "I made them just like you like."

"Only if I cad eat tem dot here," Spencer said.

"How about in the chair in the living room?" Caleb asked, helping her up. She nodded, leaning on him as he helped her out of the bedroom.

"Hey Spence," Aria said, "How are you feeling?"

"Terrible," Spencer said as she collapsed into the chair.

"Eat and I'll get your medicine," Caleb said, handing her a plate of food.

"Want some tea?" Aria asked as Spencer picked at her pancakes.

"Please," Spencer said, nodding a little.

Spencer took her medicine, trying to eat a little of her food. The rest of the day was much like the one before. Spencer was so achy and miserable. Her cough was bad and her chest was burning even when she wasn't breathing. Aria had work to do so she went off for the day.

Caleb worked while Spencer slept, trying to calm her after the nightmares she had. This continued for the next four days, Spencer's fever barely changing.

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 **Let me know if you guys want another PLL story! I have more I could probably crank out soon if your interested!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the next Chapter!**

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However, in the middle of the fourth night, Caleb woke up soaked. At first, he was worried that Spencer had had an accident.

However, when he looked over at her, he saw that her entire body was soaked. He reached over and felt her forehead, sighing when he felt how much cooler she was. Spencer woke up when she felt his hand on her.

"What's going on?" she asked sleepily, "Why am I soaking wet?"

"I think your fever is breaking," Caleb said, smiling at her, "How about I go run a bath so you can clean off while I change your sheets?"

She nodded, wiping her forehead. He got up, running a warm, but not hot bath. She walked into the bathroom as he added some lavender bubble bath to it.

"I'm gross," Spencer said, frowning as she looked in the mirror at her drenched hair and t-shirt.

"Let's see how much that fever went down," Caleb said, handing the thermometer to Spencer who stuck it under her tongue.

"100.7," Spencer said, pulling it out when it beeped.

"That's better than the 103.5 it has been for the past five days," Caleb said, adjusting the bath temperature a little bit, "Now, in the tub. I'll set a pair of pajamas outside the door."

"Thanks Caleb," Spencer said, smiling at him.

Caleb went back into her bedroom, stripping the sheets off the bed. He had changed them twice already since she had been sick because she had spilled on them once, and she asked him to the other time.

He put on fresh sheets, putting a towel under Spencer's part of the bed in case she ended up sweating out the rest of the fever. Aria had met up with another friend in DC the evening before and decided to stay with her overnight so it was only the two of them in the apartment.

Caleb went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of Gatorade, knowing that she had lost a ton of fluids when the fever broke. He went back into her bedroom, putting the Gatorade on her nightstand.

He had been sleeping in her bed since she got sick because she had been so needy but decided that he would sleep on the couch now that she was feeling better. He decided to give her another dose of medicine before she fell asleep again.

Just as he walked back into her room, she came out of the bathroom, dressed in clean pajamas.

"Feeling better?" he asked, helping her to bed.

"Yeah," she said, "I mean, I'm still achy, but not as bad. And I can breathe from my nose again. My chest is still killing me though."

"Good," Caleb said, handing her the Gatorade, "Drink and take some more medicine please."

She did, downing almost the entire Gatorade.

"Alright," he said, "I'm going to sleep on the couch for the rest of the night."

"Why?" she asked, looking confused and sad.

"I figured because you're feeling better, you would want your own space back," he said, looking at her.

"I still feel like garbage," she said, "And I want to be held still."

"Alright," he consented, getting into the bed with her, "Come here."

She curled up on his chest, closing her eyes. The next morning, she woke up feeling a little better and hungry for the first time in a week. Caleb was already up and in the kitchen so she got out of bed and went to find him.

"Hey," he said, smiling at her as she came into the kitchen, "How are you feeling?"

"Better," she said, "Not back to normal at all, but less like death and more like a zombie."

He laughed a little as she sat down at the table, coughing.

"Want some breakfast?" he asked, hoping the answer would be different than it had been all week.

"Yeah," she said, coughing, "I'm starving actually."

"What can I get for you?" he asked, "French toast? Eggs? Bagel?"

"Eggs?" she asked, knowing he made killer eggs.

"You got it," he said, "Let me just grab the thermometer."

She nodded, resting her head on her hands. He came back a minute later with the thermometer, putting it in her mouth.

"100.4," she read off, smiling.

"Not quite normal," he said, "But getting better."

He cooked them breakfast, giving her the first cup of coffee she had had since she got sick.

"I need to do some work today," she said, looking at him as the ate.

"You're still sick," he said, shaking his head.

"Just for a few hours," she said, "I just need to run to the office and check a few things."

"Spence," he said, "You have had a fever so high I actually almost took you to the hospital more than a few times."

"You're not my boyfriend Caleb," she said, "Or my mother, not that she ever had any say over what I did. I'm going to get ready. I won't be gone long."

Caleb sighed in frustration as she got up. She left the apartment and headed to work less than an hour later.

He decided to straighten up her place before doing work. He knew she was still too sick to be left alone so he was going to stay a few more days.

* * *

 **One Chapter Left!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Last chapter!**

* * *

About four hours after she left, Caleb got a call on his phone.

"Hello?" he said, answering.

"Hey," the voice said, "This is Danielle. I work with Spencer. She fell asleep on her desk and it feels like she has a fever. She gave me your number if there were ever an emergency."

"I'll be right there," Caleb said, "I told her not to come in today."

Caleb left her place, getting on the metro. He got off and headed to her office. He went up to her floor, hearing a commotion.

He headed to her desk, only to find a few people crowded around. He heard the distinct sound of Spencer crying and pushed his way to her. He found her crying like when she had a nightmare, a few coworkers trying to comfort her.

"I got her," Caleb said, reaching Spencer and pulling her into his arms as she sobbed and coughed.

"What's going on?" Danielle asked.

"It's complicated," Caleb said, rubbing her back and trying to calm her down, "I'll let her tell you when she's better if she wants to. If you could get all of these people out f here, that would be great though."

Danielle nodded, getting everyone out. Caleb got Spencer calmed down enough that he could carry her out of the office. He hailed a cab and loaded her in, heading back to her apartment.

He was glad she was sleeping because he knew she would be so embarrassed. He took her back to her place, tucking her into bed. She woke up only a half hour later.

"Please tell me it was all a dream," Spencer moaned, coughing as she looked at Caleb.

"Wish I could," he said, looking at her.

"I really had a nightmare at my office?" she asked, tears nearing her eyes.

"Yeah," he said, getting up from the chair and going to the bed, "Hey, don't cry. It's alright. They all understand you're not feeling well."

"Did you tell them why?" Spencer asked and he knew she wasn't referring to the flu.

"No," Caleb said, rubbing her back, "Of course not. That's your story to tell. I just told them it was complicated and you might tell them when you're feeling better if you wanted to."

Spencer nodded against his chest as silent tears fell. He held her close, trying to calm her down.

"I want to check your temperature," he said once the tears had stopped, "You feel warm again."

He got up, grabbing the thermometer.

"102.1," he read off as she handed it to him.

She just groaned, closing her eyes.

"Don't say it," Spencer said, rubbing her eyes as she curled up in her blankets.

"I won't," he said, rubbing her back, "Sleep."

She finally nodded off, snuggled into his chest. He pulled his laptop up on the bed, doing work while she slept. She slept for a long time, which he was glad about because she needed to get rid of this bug. Five hours later, she finally woke up.

"Hey Spence," he said, seeing her eyes open slowly, "Feeling a little better?"

She shrugged, snuggling closer. He rubbed her back in a pattern as she slowly woke up.

"I feel gross," she said, rubbing her face on his chest as she started coughing again.

"How can I help?" he asked, feeling her forehead and feeling how warm she still was.

"I don't know," she said, "I just feel bad."

"I'm sorry," he said, "How about some tea?"

She nodded as he got up. She knew it was partly her fault that she felt this sick right now because she didn't listen to Caleb. Caleb came back a few minutes later with a steaming cup of tea.

"Drink up," he said, handing her the cup.

She took it, sipping it slowly. It felt so good on her raw throat. However, the hot tea made her cough more. He rubbed her back gently as she tried to get a hold of her breathing.

"I think you need to go to the doctor," he said as her coughing died down.

"I'm alright," she rasped out.

He shook his head as she leaned back against the pillow. They put on a movie, and Spencer fell asleep quickly, her cough not letting her sleep for long. Aria came back later that day, hanging out with Spencer while Caleb went to meet up with some colleagues for a night out.

That night, Spencer didn't sleep for more than an hour at a time as her cough picked up as did her fever. By morning, Spencer's fever was back near 103.

"Spence," Caleb said, "You are going to the doctor. You barely slept and that cough is awful."

Spencer nodded, coughing again. Just then, Caleb's phone rang. He went out into the living room to take it.

"I don't know if I can today John," Caleb said into his phone as Aria listened in, "I have to take a friend to the doctor. She's had a 103 fever for over a week."

"Caleb," Aria said, looking at him, "I can take Spence."

Caleb nodded and finished making plans with his co-worker. Caleb then went back into the bedroom and had Spencer call her doctor and get an appointment. Caleb headed off to his meeting while Aria hung out with Spencer until they had to leave for the doctor's appointment. Aria helped Spencer get ready and leave the house.

"I feel terrible," Spencer said after another coughing fit.

"I know Spence," Aria said, rubbing her back, "Let's get to the doctor."

They caught a cab and made it to the doctor. Spencer tried to stay awake but found herself leaning on Aria heavily.

When Spencer was taken back to a room after being weighed. She had lost over fifteen pounds in the last two weeks. She went back to the room, shivering a little bit. Her vitals were taken before the nurse left.

"103.2," Aria said, shaking her head, "I can't imagine how awful you feel right now."

"I wound't wish this on anyone," Spencer said, shivering as she coughed again.

The doctor came in a few minutes later.

"Hello Spencer," Dr. Jansen said, "Looks like you're pretty sick."

Spencer nodded, shivering again. Dr. Jansen did a full workup before she spoke again.

"I want to send you to the hospital," Dr. Jansen said, "It sounds like you have double pneumonia, but you need a chest x-ray to confirm it. That fever is really bad too so I am going to get a prescription for antibiotics and inhalers ready for you. I'll call them in as soon as I get the x-ray results. I also want to get a flu test run because it sounds like you might have the flu too."

"I think I'm at the end of it," Spencer rasped, "It was going around the office and I've been sick all week."

"I see," the doctor said, scribbling that down, "I still want to do a flu and strep test just to be sure."

Spencer nodded, coughing and shivering. A nurse came in to run the tests a few minutes after the doctor left.

Once that was done, Spencer was sent on her way to the hospital. Aria helped her very sick friend into the hospital and back to the imaging department. The x-rays were taken and Spencer was sent to wait. Soon enough, the nurse came out, telling her that she did in fact, have double pneumonia.

However, as they had traveled around, Spencer's breathing had gotten a lot worse and the nurse decided to have her admitted to the ER for some treatments.

Aria texted Caleb to let him know as Spencer was hooked up to monitors. Her oxygen was only at 78% so she was first given an albuterol treatment then some oxygen. She was also hooked up to an IV with fluids and powerful antibiotic. By the time her breathing treatment was done, Caleb had arrived at the hospital.

"What the hell happened?" he asked, coming into the room she was in.

"Double pneumonia," she rasped out over the oxygen canula.

"Her oxygen was too low," Aria said, looking at Caleb, "They gave her some medicine to help her breath better."

Spencer looked so pale and miserable laying in the hospital bed. She had to stay for a while, getting another breathing treatment before she was released.

Caleb had gone down to the pharmacy to get her prescriptions before helping Spencer out to a cab. The three of them headed back to Spencer's place. Caleb had to carry Spencer up to bed where she promptly fell asleep.

"I have to fly out tonight," Aria said as Caleb came out of the bedroom, "I've got work tomorrow in New York."

"Sorry your visit was so boring with Spencer," Caleb said.

"It's totally fine," Aria said, shaking her head, "It was good to see both of you. I've actually gotta go now to make it to the airport. Can you tell Spencer I said bye and that I hope she feels better?"

"Of course," Caleb said, hugging Aria, "I know she'll miss you."

"I'll call her later to check in," Aria said, grabbing her suit case, "Don't forget to talk to her Caleb."

"It was good to see you Aria," Caleb said, shaking his head as the shorter woman left the apartment.

"You too," Aria called, "See you later."

After Aria left, Caleb sat down at the table to read the doctor's orders. He made sure that he knew exactly what she need to do to get better. He heard her coughing about an hour after they got back and hurried into the room to help her. Once the coughing died down, he got more fluids in her before helping her settle back down to sleep.

For the next week, Caleb balance being at Spencer's place helping her with working. After four days, she was starting to feel better and her fever had broken again.

She finally went back to work after over two weeks of being out. Caleb went back to living at his place then too. They both decided to ignore the advice their friend had given and just continued hanging out together a lot, neither ever willing to admit their feelings for the other.

* * *

 **There it was!Let me know if you would be interested in more PLL stories. And which pairings are your favorites!**


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